Hey, Try Cooperating for a Change

I have wanted to speak out on this topic for a very long time, now. In fact, it goes back to last term, when students accused police officers of taking aggressive actions at an unapproved (I will refrain from the adjective, illegal) block party.

First off, I am excited that the Georgian Congresswoman apologized, even if it was only halfheartedly, Thursday afternoon. What an end to a week of shameful, name-labeling lunacy!

For those who do not yet know, Rep. McKinney D-GA was stopped as she was entering the Capital in D.C. She apparently had a makeover--that is, a newer, sexier, and fresher hairdo. She did not have her congressional ID pin out in easy sight and the officer did not recognize her.

When the officer asked her to stop, she did not do so willingly. When he asked her some questions, she did not cooperate. Finally, she struck the officer.

McKinney tried to play the race card as for the reason the officer stopped her and never once did I hear or read of her discussing her motive for striking the officer for doing his duty.

Do not get me wrong, if race was the underlying purpose then I would be arguing that; however, McKinney forgets that real racism occurs and her incident was not one of those sad displays of intolerance and lack of education. There are good, hard-working people in this country being denied career opportunities, cast aside in social settings, and harassed by mere words or by physical means.

However, back to my topic: the treatment of the police officers. My grandfather, a retired officer after 35 years of service, raised me, since I was four. Furthermore, having that perspective showed me a side that most people do not get to see. I learned of the motives for a police officer’s actions, which the layman might not understand at first glance at the situation or incident.

Richard Keplinger, another retired officer from my hometown, stated once to me that “an officer has a few moments to make a decision that might take a court and/or the public months, if not years, to tear apart and say if you [the officer] were wrong or right in the action you took.”

I have to agree with him. Police officers protect me, the writer of this column, and you, the reader of this column, and everyone else. Then why do we, as citizens, seem to like to bad mouth their behaviors or degrade their actions or piss on their characters?

Maybe the reason lies with the way we see our influential citizens. Maybe when the rapper or singer curses the officer or when the actor plays the part of the “bad cop” or when the congressman or congresswoman, in this case, assaults the officer for servicing and protecting.

There are officers in this country who do not fulfill their duties and are these “bad cops”; however, those are the few and the far between. Whatever the reason may be, though, I believe a thank you is in store for the men and women wearing the uniform and carrying the badge.


This was a last minute column. I am not happy with it, but it is okay. I hate when I procrastinate. I am planning on starting earlier this week and write a great column.